


Severus Snape of my Soul

by Lady_Vyxen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen, Magical Experiment, Multi, Mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-19
Updated: 2015-01-22
Packaged: 2018-03-08 05:29:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3197108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Vyxen/pseuds/Lady_Vyxen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus Snape does not know the secret of what he truly is, a dark secret, a horrible experiment that failed and links him to a young girl about to arrive at Hogwarts. Canon compliant. Not a typical OC story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Tale Begins

**Chapter 1- The Tale Begins**

 

_I failed._

_As one of the four founders, and probably the most important one, I find it hard to admit that I failed. The discovery wasn't fully mine, but the responsibility…I can only blame myself._

_The problem seems to be solved, for now. It was my sole duty to dispose of all the subjects created. I know I failed, because some them managed to run away. If they are able to breed, it_

_is my fault they will survive._

_If they breed, they blood of future wizards will be polluted by the curse. I need to find them. I need to finish the Mirror. _ _I need to finish them._

Selection from Salazar Slytherin journals

* * *

 

Two Aurors held her in a painfully harsh grip. They were careful to not get dirty, as she had blood on her hands, and on the front of her dress. She was still struggling, and she babbled some nonsense that they didn't want to hear.

Kingsley Shacklebolt was tired beyond belief. It was Harry Potter's turn to report the ones who were certainly dead.

Kingsley rubbed his eyes and noted Severus Snape. "This one deserves an explanation," said Harry, but Kingsley just waved him off.

"There will be time for explanations later," he dismissed Harry as he wrote the name on another list.

Kingsley was also responsible for making temporary quarters for Hogwarts students. The main priority was to neutralize any remaining Death Eaters or other sympathizers of Voldemort. He could say this name without fear now. Yes, he could say the name now, but would he want to? Would anyone?

Harry was about to leave, when two Aurors approached; they held the screaming and struggling woman.

"She's threatened to kill me," spat Harry. "I believe that you will consider it and make a proper decision." Harry left, and gave a glare to Katia Ivanov as he passed her. He's face showed utter disgust.

"You must listen to me! He will return!" screamed the woman.

Kingsley just shook his head. "Take her to Azkaban. She will wait for the process there; we can't afford to be careless this time."

Kingsley took a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket. The shaky handwriting said: Tonks and Lupin.

_Tonks._

Tonks was _dead._

Too many good people died while traitors like Malfoys, Parkinson, or Ivanov remained unscathed.

* * *

 

Diagon Alley, August 19, 1992

The tales she heard about Diagon Alley ware nothing compared to the crowded street with even more shops than she could have ever imagined.

Katia, more used to the peaceful and lazy atmosphere in the Ivanov Manor or very a different type of street, was now surrounded by a crowd of people, and didn't know where to go first; she wanted to see and touch everything.

A short man in his early fifties walked beside her and grabbed her hand as he smiled.

"Everything has its own time, sweetie," he said in a strange mixture of Russian, Polish and maybe one or two Slavonic languages.

"I know, but this place is truly amazing. I have never been in a marketplace such as this."

It was like day and night when she tried to compare the crowded marketplaces of Bulgaria, people would yell to attract customers to their stalls, wizards who drove muggle cars and would honk constantly, and children who were dressed in shorts and ran around to try to steal as much as they could, to Diagon Alley.

If she were still in Bulgaria, Katia would be sweating under the hot sun that would be relentless almost all day long, and there would be dust up to her knees.

But here in England, she felt cold, as if it was late Fall. There were thick clouds in the sky above her and she was grateful that her father had advised her to wear warmer clothes.

They visited shop after shop, buying supplies and books from the Hogwarts list. Her servant, Maria, followed their every step, and carried their purchases in big bags.

They stopped near "Flourish & Blotts", and Maria took a seat on a nearby bench.

The crowd inside this shop was impressive, and Wulfrick and Katia entered, careful to not bring too much attention to themselves.

She wasn't in the mood to answer tons of questions about who she was and why was she here. She was sure that the students of Hogwarts could recognize an unfamiliar face rather quickly.

Katia looked at the list of books and wrinkled her nose.

"Do I really need to buy all of this shit?"

Her companion patted her arm and furrowed his brows in annoyance. "A young lady like yourself should not be using such language in public."

The girl rolled her eyes and sighed, "Don't be so absurd, dad. They cannot understand a word."

" _I_ understand."

They moved forward a little, but neither Katia nor Wulfrick were tall enough to see the reason of such a big crowd inside the bookshop. Katia tapped at Gilderoy's surname with her manicured finger.

"I can't believe that this retarded moron will be our teacher."

Wulfrick chuckled and smiled mischievously. "At least you will _not_ have an opportunity to show how _gifted_ you are with a wand."

"Funny, because I would like to show them right here, right now what an excellent dueler I am," she snorted in a mock angry tone.

The pair moved to the corner, and pretended that they were looking at the titles of the books on shelves, but both waited for an opportunity to see something more than people's backs.

A high voice, belonging to a mother most likely, was heard and after a while she was visible. People behind them pushed Katia and Wulfrick forward, for now they were able to see something or someone of interest.

"Weasleys," hissed a voice in her ear while she looked at the redheaded family. "Malfoy, behind them. And his son upstairs and-"

She interrupted, "Potter, I know."

She stood with her face towards Lockhart, but her eyes never left Lucius Malfoy.

"He is so handsome," she said in English. It would look suspicious if they were talking in foreign language standing so close to other students.

"Gilderoy Lockhart is SOOOO cute," replied a blonde girl with dreamy eyes who stood next to Katia. "We are so lucky that he will be our teacher," she continued.

The blonde started babbling and whenever Katia tried to speak, she received a new river of words from the girl.

Finally, Wulfrick had had enough.

"Tshort ty, poshol von," he hissed quietly, so only Katia and the blonde girl could hear him.

The girl retreated and Katia turned her head a little towards her companion.

"I know it's a bit early, but I want so much to-"

Anything she wanted to say was interrupted by a peal of laughter from Lockhart. Nevertheless, Wulfrick knew what she meant because he leaned to her a little and whispered, "I know child, but take your time."

"He will fulfill my needs, I can see it. It's his body, his eyes, his movements…" Her voice changed, becoming seductive as her eyes darkened. She felt a harsh grip on her left shoulder.

"It's not a sweet and you are not in a candy shop, so stop salivating this instance for Rasputin's sake!" Hissed Wulfrick angrily as he shook the girl by her arm.

In the mean time, Mrs. Weasley had made her way back through the crowd. She seemed very satisfied with her pile of books signed by Lockhart.

Wulfrick pulled Katia towards the salesman and they bought all the books on the list.

When they were finally outside, they handed the new bag to Maria and headed towards a nearby restaurant. Wulfrick and Maria ordered ice cream covered in lemon juice and cappuccino, Katia took a fruit salad with a glass of soy milk.

She interrupted the silence after a while.

"If an attribute of the Devil is temptation, than this man the Devil impersonated," she said as she closed her eyes for a moment and smiled as she remembered an oriental, musky scent of expensive perfume and a brush of velvet robes.

"Who is that?" asked Maria, as she swallowed a frozen grape with a grimace.

"If you still have to ask, girl, then you have a lot more to learn than I expected," answered Wulfrick with his all knowing smile.

"Lucius Malfoy, silly," explained Katia with a friendly tone and an understanding expression.

Maria colored and dropped her gaze. "Of course," she sighed, "I can be so stupid sometimes."

* * *

 

A/N:

Tshort ty, poshol von - transcribed Russian. It may contain minor mistakes in transcription, because I'm not a native English speaker and Russian isn't my first language too.

"Tshort" – the devil, "ty" – you, "poshol"- out, "von" – go away. In a free translation it means "Go away, you devil" which is an equivalent of "Go to the Hell"

Due to the environment in which Katia was raised, there will be some Polish, Bulgarian and Russian in her parts of dialogue, but not too often.

I am sure that most of you know who Grigori Rasputin was. I thought that he would make an excellent equivalent of a British Merlin.


	2. Houses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katia is full of unsecurity and her new life at Hogwarts is completely different to the one she was used to.

Katia Ivanov stood on platform 9 and 3/4 with Wulfrick Ivanov at her side. Her pose was relaxed and her face expressionless as she watched the students make their way to the train. She looked at the Hogwarts Express for the first time, and anticipation and anxiety welled up inside of her.  
"Maybe I should go now?" she asked in a thick, Russian accent.  
"Maybe we should wait for a while; you still have ten minutes left."  
"Do I look plain enough?" She smoothed her thick, grey robes as if to underline her question.  
Her father nodded, and Katia looked at the Hogwarts Express again. She'd always used Sidelong Apparation with someone, or gone by a Portkey, so traveling by the train was something new for her. If not for the Muggleborns, all students could have been Apparated by their parents, she thought.  
The platform soon became crowded. Young wizards with their parents were pacing, running, and shouting. She tried to listen, but there were too many voices at the moment to separate a single sentence.  
A hissing from behind interrupted her musings.  
"Focus now, they're here." She looked to her right and saw a bushy haired girl with a round-faced boy.  
"Harry Potter's friends, but no sign of him." Her voice betrayed a slight, yet barely audible anxiety.  
"Follow them, then." It was the only reply, the closest thing to a good-bye she received from Wulfrick.  
She nodded, gave him a brief kiss on the cheek, took her trunk, and headed to the train. Cursing under her breath, she pushed the heavy trunk inside and looked around to try and find a familiar face, but she had no such luck.  
She made her way from end to end of the train, but there was still no sign of Wonder-Boy Potter. That left the two she saw at the platform.  
Hermione was in a seat by the window, Neville opposite to her.  
"Are you sure you haven't seen Harry and Ron? The train will leave soon," she said nervously, and she tapped her foot impatiently on the floor.  
Neville scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Don't ask me. They should be here by now." With a sharp pull, the train slowly left Platform 9 and 3/4 "Maybe they're in trouble?" he finished with another shrug.  
Hermione knitted her brows together, and looked out the window at the landscapes, not seeing them, lost in her thoughts. It wasn't long before they heard a knock, and the door of the compartment slid open. An unfamiliar girl stood in the entrance, dragging a large trunk.  
"I'm sorry, but all the other seats seem to be taken. Would you mind if I joined you?" She produced a shy smile as she waited for a reply.  
Hermione looked at the tall girl whose fringe was too long to the point that it almost obscured her eyes.  
"Of course we don't mind. Forgive us, but we were trying to figure out if we've seen you before."  
Neville took her trunk and placed it on the luggage rack above their heads. The girl took the seat next to him and raised her hand to her hair, but put it back down before she reached it.  
"No, we don't know each other yet; I'm Katia Ivanov and I'm new here."  
"Hermione Granger, and this is Neville Longbottom."  
Before Katia had a chance to respond, Hermione spoke again. "You don't wear any house colors, but you look too old to be a first year. Did you just receive your letter later than we did?"  
Katia smiled and looked straight at Hermione. For a moment brown eyes locked with hazel ones and the girl spoke.  
"Yes, I'm too old for a first year. I'm starting school a little bit later. I'm from Bulgaria and I will be attending with the second years, because I passed my exams at Durmstrang."  
Neville raised his brows in surprise. "So you're from Durmstrang?" Katia nodded and looked at Hermione again.  
Katia took a deep breath and smiled. "Yes, partially," she said calmly, "I was home schooled, and I only had to pass exams at Durmstrang. I will be seeing Hogwarts for the first time. Can you tell me something about it? I don't want to make an idiot of myself on the first day."  
Hermione lit up at this request, leaned forward to the Bulgarian girl, and began to give her a lecture on Hogwarts' history. Katia had read Hogwarts: the History, but it was good to hear about the school from someone who had actually attended there before.  
She listened carefully when Hermione mentioned the teachers, and tried to figure out who might be strict and when she should watch herself the most.  
"Professor McGonagall is the Head of the Gryffindor House. She is an Animagus, and her form is a cat. She teaches Transfiguration, and I really like her subject, but she is demanding. But it's good, because I like the challenge." She took a deep breath as if to continue, but decided against it.  
Instead she leaned closer to the other girl. "What do you think, Katia? What is your favorite subject, by the way?"  
Katia thought about her busy schedule and her additional lessons, and two subjects especially stood out.  
"I enjoy Self Defense and Potions.."  
"Self Defense? You meant Defense Against the Dark Arts?"  
Katia listened to the British accent that Hermione spoke with, the one she loved so much, and only then did she realize just how much she had to practice.  
"No, I meant Self Defense. It's very useful; if an opponent disarms you, you are not helpless, and you have plenty of possibilities. You can dodge their spells, kick them in a sensible place, or throw something at them. It's not a good thing to rely only on your wand, and as a Muggleborn, as you claim yourself to be, you should know that I'm right"  
Hermione seemed to be surprised. "Of course, you're right, but Hogwarts doesn't provide us with Self Defence lessons," she said, and then paused. Katia quietly sat , in a modest pose, with her hands resting in her lap.  
"You mentioned Potions. Professor Snape teaches that. He's the Head of the Slytherin House and is quite an unpleasant person, unless you are a member of his house. But even then, he makes exceptions sometimes."  
Neville looked at Hermione disbelievingly, and raised his brows almost to his hairline. "Quite unpleasant? Great gods, Hermione! That greasy git makes my life miserable every chance he can."  
Katia chuckled and put her hand on Neville's arm. "It can't be that bad," she said, and looked between Longbottom and Granger.  
"I'm afraid he's right. Professor Snape terrifies Neville, and he seems to enjoy doing it. I'm sure he won't care that your English isn't perfect, and he might lower your grades unless you copy the text from the book, word for word."  
Katia sighed. It seemed that Hogwarts would challenge neither her knowledge nor her logic, but rather condemn her for her poor language skills. The only contact that she'd had with English for seven years had been provided by provided by Russian or Bulgarian teachers whose accents weren't much better than her own. Better to work on pronunciation.  
Besides, if she survived Aine Delorge, she could survive anything. This Professor Snape just couldn't possibly be worse than her. No one could. Aine Delorge was her teacher of Dance and Graceful Movements. These subjects were a part of her Adept training, that were preparing Katia to be an elite pleasure mistress in the future. Pleasure mistresses could be compared to Muggle Japanese geisha.  
The train began to slow down and Neville looked out the window to see if they were in Hogsmeade. However, it was dark outside, and all he saw was the reflection of their compartment in the glass.  
Neville was a gentleman, so he helped Hermione and Katia with their trunks, to put them in the middle of compartment.  
Katia's trunk opened a little, and a book fell on the floor, showing its title in golden lettering. It said Anatomy of Pleasure: The Most Sensitive Spots.  
Katia grabbed the book and did everything to look unperturbed. They couldn't read Russian letters after all.  
"What's that?" asked Hermione, curious.  
"It's just one of the books for Charms. I have one in Russian so I can understand Charms better," replied Katia nonchalantly. They left their trunks near the door and left the compartment.  
They were already changed into their school robes and had started walking towards the front of the train when it finally stopped.  
Katia twirled a strand of her hair and smiled uncertainly. "You were so nice to me. I wish I could be real friends with you one day."  
Hermione put a hand on Katia's arm. "Of course you can, we can know each other better. Why would you think otherwise?"  
Katia produced a shy smile and looked at her feet. "You see, I'm not sure where I will be sorted. You suggested Ravenclaw because I like to read, but I don't think that will be the case. You like books also, and you were sorted into Gryffindor. Would you like to be my friend, despite the house I'll be in?"  
Hermione squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Of course Katia, we're not the ones with prejudices, but I hope you will be in Gryffindor. You are really nice"  
"Thank you, it means a lot to me.". Katia didn't need to act, because it was an honest answer from her.  
Maybe she wouldn't be so terribly alone after all, even if Granger's company was a bit tiring.  
Besides, friendship with Hermione would give her access to Harry Potter, and one of her tasks was to keep an eye on him.  
They went outside and Katia smiled to the half-giant who greeted them. As a new student, she was to ride the boats with the group of soon-to-be first years.  
Hagrid was a nice guy, she could tell, and she was sure that her bad English didn't matter to him. They could barely understand each other, and that was enough.  
Katia was just as impressed as her companions were when they were seated in the small boats, but she admired her surroundings without her mouth gaping open. And when they went in through the large doors of the school, Katia tried to take in everything at once.  
Only years of learning self control stopped her from standing there with her eyes wide and mouth agape when she looked at the impressive castle. She wasn't showing her obvious interest, however. To a mere observer, she looked at her surroundings with mild interest.  
Such a place to study magic!  
An elderly woman at the top of stairs welcomed Katia and the rest of the students. She introduced herself as Minerva McGonagall.  
She said the greeting speech to the new students, and shortly before the door to the Great Hall opened, she gestured Katia over. The girl stepped closer and smiled uncertainly at the older woman.  
"Welcome to Hogwarts. You must be Katia Ivanov, I presume?"  
The Bulgarian girl nodded and looked at the floor, not wanting to disrespect the woman by looking straight into her eyes.  
"Don't be shy, I won't bite. The Sorting Ceremony is really a nice experience. Now cheer up child, it is the time."  
"Of course."  
Katia's response was drowned out among the noises made by the first years. She entered the Great Hall with the flow and looked around. The enchanted ceiling was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and the levitating candles made the effect almost stunning. She barely paid attention to the Headmaster's speech, because she was as absorbed by her surroundings as the rest of the first years were. It was out of character for her to be so careless, but she couldn't help it.  
She focused however when she heard her name. She straightened her hair with one quick motion, a nervous habit that stubbornly showed her nervousness no matter how hard she tried to stop it.  
She lifted her chin and walked stiffly between the tables. She was aware of the looks she received, but they did not faze her. She kept her gaze at the height of McGonagall's knees. She heard whispers amongst the students:  
"Nothing special," whispered a bored, tall boy.  
"Quite plain," someone said aloud.  
"Kind of ordinary looking."  
"Wonder if she likes Chocolate Frogs," laughed someone.  
"Do you think she'll be in our house?" asked a girl nearby.  
"I hope not," replied a voice behind her.  
She decided to ignore them.  
The Sorting Hat was placed on her head and in the same moment she heard a voice inside her mind. She fought the urge to flinch.  
"Sorting you is not a hard thing. I see a lot of courage. That would make an excellent Gryffindor."  
"I am not a coward if that's what you mean."  
"No, no. But it's not your major trait. You also like to learn new things, even if they are…er…sometimes forced upon you."  
"Does it mean Ravenclaw?"  
"Your hard work and constant need to prove yourself would make you more a Hufflepuff than Ravenclaw."  
"Huff Le Puff then?"  
"But… so much acting, so much cunning in such a young mind."  
"It has a reason and a purpose."  
"Of course it does, and nothing will help you better to gain you goals than …"  
"SLYTHERIN!" it shouted and Katia heard clapping from one table.  
She sent an apologetic look to Hermione and Neville and headed to the Slytherin table. Despite the dirty looks from some of the students, she kept herself calm and composed, and sat stiff and proud. Providing a small smile she sat on the edge of the bench and, avoiding Malfoy's eyes, looked at her new teachers.  
She was a member of the Ivanov family, and the Ivanovs could eat the likes of Malfoys for breakfast. The truth was that if they knew what her true heritage was, they would hate her openly. Ivanovs, Malfoys, Slytherins. Most likely all of them.  
She shuddered inside at the thought and took a deep breath. They couldn't know; there is no way. How would they? It's not like she had a flashing sign on her forehead.  
Perhaps there was no way for them to know, but she did, and her anxiety grew despite her efforts to calm herself. Did she leave her confidence with Wulfrick at the train station?  
She thought that she was over the feelings of anxiety caused by such truths coming out about her. Yet, it still caused her to be nervous. She would have to work more on self-control, and sooner, rather than later.  
The Staff table contained one unoccupied chair, and Katia scanned the teachers through hooded eyes and tried to figure out who was who. She couldn't tell much, because Hermione had focused on describing their teaching attitudes, not physical traits. She only recognized Professor Flitwick because Neville had mentioned that he was tiny.  
It wasn't long before a tall, lean man entered the Great Hall and sat by teacher's table. His skin was pale and his face was obscure by lank, black hair. Only his large nose was visible. He said something to the teachers and their eyes widened. She turned her head back towards the Slytherins, and tried to hear what they were saying.  
"-must be in trouble," said someone behind her.  
"-a hell of-" she heard from the middle of the table.  
"Snape won't- bla-bla-bla – easily" It was so hard to catch the words in all the noise.  
"Potter-" of course Potter, whom else would they discuss? Her? She was "nothing special", or so they said earlier.  
"McGona-"  
"and Headmaster-"  
"-went-"  
She looked around again, but there was no sign of this Snape and Headmaster. The feline in disguise teacher was also missing.  
She drank her pumpkin juice and ate some fruits, but there was nothing else she could stomach.  
"Big cow. Almost like Millicent, yet eats like a bird," she heard a snarky female voice comment, but pretended as if she had not heard the rude comment.  
She was aware that because she was sitting with her back turned to her new housemates, she wasn't exactly coming off as the friendliest person, and their unpleasant reactions to her weren't making her feel friendlier, either. It also irritating her to the point that she was constantly playing with her hair.  
By the time Katia reached the Slytherin common room she felt dizzy from all the noise that the student body provided. She was used to more quiet, spacious surroundings.  
She was half-way to the girls dormitories when the door opened and a pug faced girl poked her head out. Katia recognized the girl's voice as the one that had made the cow comment.  
"Oi! Everyone! Her things are in my room! C'mon, let's see what she's got here!" she shouted, and most of Slytherins went into the dorm before Katia could do anything.  
When Katia finally pushed through the crowd, most of the floor of the room was covered with her belongings.  
Girls were trying her perfumes and cosmetics, and boys were looking at her underwear.  
Malfoy was wearing her bra, touching it and shouting obscenities. When he noticed her presence, he smiled wickedly.  
"Wooo, what have we got here! Didn't know that twelve years olds could grow breasts already!"  
Everyone looked at Katia, probably expecting her to run and cry, but she didn't. She stood still, her head bowed with her hair hanging around most of her face, yet she could still see through it.  
She suspected something like this to happen and that's why Wulfrick had taken her most valuable things to Dumbledore when he had come to visit Hogwarts during the holidays.  
However suspecting something and actually seeing her privacy violated in such a manner were two different things, and she wasn't about to let it go so easily.  
Katia felt rage boiling in her, and this time, she did nothing to stop it.  
"Leave it," she said in a deadly low voice. If they had been at Ivanov Manor, they would have listened immediately, but here she was "nothing special" and alone. It only caused a laughter and more obscenities.  
"NOW!"  
"Or what? You'll hex us all or go back to mommy and daddy crying?"  
Without a warning she jumped to the center of the crowd, punched the girl straight into her stomach, elbowed a black skinned boy, and kicked a big baboon of a boy in his groin.  
They didn't have time to react, and she would have done more, but Malfoy's son had his reflexes also, and drew his wand.  
Severus Snape was furious. Potter and Weasley should have been expelled for their foolish actions. But, of course, they were untouchable. As if that wasn't enough, the old bag McGonagall had made sure that their punishment wasn't too hard.  
Had they been in Slytherin, they would've been packed up and on the train back to London by now.  
That reminded him of his past. When Sirius Black almost got him killed, he was also spared and punished by a mere detentions and he, the victim, had to be grateful that James Potter had saved his life.  
He was heading to his quarters when he heard noises from the Slytherin rooms. He quickened his pace, Disillusioned himself, and entered the Common Room just in time to see a torment party that had been prepared for the Bulgarian girl.  
Severus suspected that being from Bulgaria would have provided her an education in the Dark Arts, even if she hadn't attended Durmstrang. But her vicious attack and incredible speed surprised him.  
She didn't stand a chance, however. She was alone, and, as far as he could see, this careless child hadn't even drawn her wand. Severus smirked to himself when he saw Draco's wand trained on Bulgarian girl.  
But Snape's amusement wasn't long lived when the girl flew across the room, slammed into him hard, and knocked the air out of his lungs. Severus' back met the door painfully.  
Katia felt something hard and solid hit her and loose it's balance, but she didn't register it in her furious state. Malfoy's spell felt as if he had punched her in the ribs.  
"Svolotch!"  
Being defenseless and not having the advantage of surprise, she took off one high-heeled shoes and threw it in the face of the Pug-faced girl. She smirked when she heard the lovely noise of bones breaking.  
Pug face held her nose with two hands, and blood flowed from her nose at an impressive speed.  
"You got what you deserved, psha yuha ty!"  
She could almost feel the hatred from the other students as they approached her, their jaws clenched and their fists balled. Any moment and they would tear her into pieces.  
"You think that you are strong, tshorty vy, because you are in a pack! But none of you, NO ONE wants to come here and be first!"  
She was holding her wand now in a steady, firm grip. They backed up a little and she advanced, her face controlled and lips in a thin line.  
"Remember that this was only a show, a sample. You don't want to be my enemy. Now, you will gather my things and put. Them. Back."  
Some of them reluctantly retreated and Katia raised her wand higher.  
"Move!"  
She stepped closer to see if all her things were put back into the chest.  
Snape used the chaos of the situation to retreat. He decided to not interfere, but she wouldn't get away with this.  
His back still hurt, but it was a side effect of his curiosity. The girl had handled the situation, but it was strange that she used physical violence instead of some nasty hex.  
The atmosphere in the Slytherin Common Room was nervous and unpleasant.  
Katia demanded to be left alone and most of them agreed to do it. Malfoy, however, thought, that having her on his side would be an interesting addition to his bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle.  
Pansy was escorted to Madam Pomfrey, claiming that she tripped on a stair.  
Draco pulled Katia aside.  
"You think that you will rule us now?"  
"I never said that. Just don't mess with me and we can live here in peace."  
"I am afraid that I didn't catch your name, but by the way you acted, I would say you are a Mudblood, using violence like you did."  
"I must disappoint you, Malfoy. I don't know what the term Mudblood means, but by your tone, I suspect that it's some lower kind of people. I'm from the Ivanov family; we are one of the oldest and richest Pureblood families in Russia"  
Ivanov? She's Ivanov? Oh bloody hell; Father is going to kill me.  
"You must forgive my fellow Slytherins, but we were not aware of your heritage. I sincerely apologize and I hope that you won't hold my mistake against me." That should do.  
"I have no wish to have an enemy in you, but restrain yourself next time. I want respect for my person, nothing more. I want to be treated like one of you, even if my English isn't perfect and I'm a foreigner. I hope that we have an understanding."  
He doesn't know, Rasputin the Great, why I am so worried?  
"We do. Remember that whatever happens in this house, stays here," he said, this time with a friendly smile.  
Slimy little git, why aren't you more like your father?  
She felt hot inside when she thought of Lucius, standing not so far away from her in the book shop.  
"Good night Malfoy."  
"It's Draco. Good night."  
It was long after midnight when sleep finally claimed Katia. She felt hungry and wasn't used to other people sleeping in the same room with her.  
Their snoring irritated Katia to no end.  
She woke up around five in the morning, more hungry than ever and dressed as she waited for breakfast to arrive. She thought about the fight the night before, and finally realized that she had collided with someone, but had no idea who it might have been. She finally decided that she had been too focused on the things before her to see someone behind her. Some unfortunate Slytherin would have had a rude awakening due to the force in which they hit the door.


	3. Disaster in progress

Finally eight o'clock came and Katia went for breakfast with Draco Malfoy and his two bodyguards. At this time her stomach ached from hunger.  
She took her seat between Crabbe and a rather well built girl, probably this Millicent she was compared to.  
She arched an eyebrow seeing Weasley's humiliated face when he received a Howler.  
Mrs. Weasley has quite the temper, she thought, smiling to herself.  
Her stomach was doing flips by the time food appeared on the table.  
She took a rather large portion of porridge and drank three glasses of pumpkin juice. After that she ate two slices of bread with tomato and cucumber.  
She felt watched, but it was nothing unexpected. She was new and she was sure that half of the school was eyeing her. It didn't make her self - conscious, however. Pretending to be completely concentrated on her food, she looked at the Staff Table and noticed the black eyes of Snape. He wasn't staring at her openly, but his gaze was intense and she could feel it every time he laid his eyes on her.  
She looked at the Headmaster and was amazed at seeing a striking resemblance to her father in his gestures. She wondered, who learned from whom.  
They way he held his fork, raised his eyebrows or scratched his temple. It was as if Wulfrick was there, wrapped in a different body. It was a pleasant thought, because she loved her father with all her heart and missed him already.  
She wondered if he had a similar addiction to sweets as Wulfrick.  
When she was full and satisfied, she looked at the Gryffindor table to see Hermione smiling at her. She smiled back and Weasley's face frowned. Not a good sign at all.  
Granger rose from her seat, and so did Katia, hoping that she would go with her to her first class today, Transfiguration.  
She exited the Great Hall and almost caught Hermione when a silky voice spoke near her ear.  
"Miss Ivanov, I want you to stop."  
She turned around to see the tall, lean frame of Professor Snape no further than two feet from her.  
"Yes, sir," she said politely.  
"As your Head of House, I must warn you that using physical violence is strictly forbidden at Hogwarts and I would advise you to seek other solutions for your misunderstandings."  
Quite polite for a "greasy git who makes life miserable." I wonder how he knows about it. Probably Pug Face told him.  
"I sincerely apologize, sir, but-"  
"Your efforts are touching, however you will serve a detention with me tonight. Be at my office at 8pm o'clock sharp."  
"Of course, sir." She was about to go, when he spoke again.  
"Know that being late will result in more detentions…"  
She nodded and went after Harry Potter to her first class.  
________________________________________  
Having rather good sight she took a seat at the end of the large classroom and waited for the lesson to begin.  
Professor Flitwick eyed his students as he entered the classroom and smiled a little seeing Katia among them. She smiled back and looked behind him to see a rather large table. Near, on the floor was a feather, a glass full of water, and a chair.  
He climbed onto the large pile of books on a chair and stood, gaining attention.  
"Good morning class. Today we will revive our knowledge from last year and add a little to it. A year ago we were learning wingardium leviosa and all of you performed the spell on a feather correctly."  
Some students moaned disapprovingly.  
"I thought we would learn something cool," remarked someone from Slytherin and Professor Flitwick clasped his hands, gaining attention again.  
"Patience, children. You've learned how to lift a little object, but today we will try to learn precision. Your task is to lift the objects in order from the lightest to the heaviest and put them on the table. What counts is speed, precision and grace. In order determine grace, the glass is full of water. The one who performs it the best will earn ten points to their house."  
Granger's hand flew in the air high and she wriggled on her seat. Some other student lifted their hands and Katia cowered a little, hoping that she won't be chosen. No such luck.  
"Patience, patience, children. Maybe Miss Ivanov can show us how to do this properly?"  
No, take someone else.  
"At least you will not have an opportunity to show how gifted you are with a wand."   
No.  
No no no no no.   
"Well Miss Ivanov? We are waiting."  
She slowly rose from her seat and with her usual stiff movements she walked to the table.  
"First the feather."  
"Wingardium leviosa!" she spoke the incantation with a clear voice and perfect pronunciation, her wand movements precise and smooth.  
The feather jumped few times and finally ascended, landing on the table. From the corner of her eye she saw Professor Flitwick furrowing his brows a little.  
Seeing her hesitation he motioned his hand. "Please continue, Miss Ivanov."  
She nodded and pointed at the glass. "Wingardium leviosa!"  
The glass swayed a little from side to side, and some water spilled on the floor. Katia felt her insides trembled from concentration.  
"Wingaridum leviosa!" she shouted, slight irritation quite clear in her voice.  
The glass moved up half way to the table and fell, the sound of the shattering glass ringing loud on the stone floor.  
Flitwick's frown deepened and a laugh was heard among the students.  
"It was a mistake, Professor."  
"You are a mistake!" shouted Pug Face.  
"Shut up, Pansy," she heard Draco say.  
Professor Flitwick waved his wand and the glass repaired itself and filled with water.  
"Maybe you should try with the chair, but be careful."  
Katia felt frustration building inside her. Was he trying to condemn her completely?  
But he ordered to do it and she obeyed. Taking a deep breath she trained her wand on the chair.  
"Wingardium leviosa!"  
Blasted piece of furniture didn't move even by inch. She concentrated on the spell, trying to accomplish the task with all her might. Her vision darkened a little and drops of sweat formed on her forehead.  
The chair slid by two inches on the floor, and Katia lowered her wand, gasping for air. She felt exhausted as if she was trying to lift a hippogriff with the strength of her muscles.  
But it was the humiliation which hurt her the most.  
She told herself to ignore all the nasty comments but failed.  
She was used to teachers humiliating her, one nasty witch in particular, but being the target of so many bothered her.  
She made her way to her seat stiffly and proudly, not wanting to give anyone satisfaction.  
Even "the Gryffindor pussy" Neville Longbottom managed to lift the chair.  
The lesson ended and she followed Draco to the next, when a nasty voice spoke behind her.  
"Good to know that you can't hurt a fly with your wand, you walking failure!"  
She turned around and with one, quick move she grabbed Pansy by her throat and slammed her hard against the wall. Her voice was deadly low and barely audible  
"Maybe I can't hex you, but if you ever try to threaten me, you ugly pug face, I will smash your face so hard that even your healer will be unable to fix it."  
Katia let her go and Pansy grasped her throat, breathing heavily.  
None of the Slytherins interfered and Katia quickened her pace to catch up with Hermione.  
"Hey," she said uncertainly.  
"Oh, hello Katia. I feel so sorry for you. They shouldn't laugh, you know."  
Katia shook her head and smiled.  
"I don't need pity, Hermione. I wanted to ask if you would come with me to the library after classes. I don't even know where is it. If you still want to talk with me, being in Slytherin and all that is."  
"I would love to show you the library and remember what I said in the train. It doesn't matter that you're Slytherin until you plan to do something nasty to me."  
"I don't," Katia smiled mischievously "and I think I don't even have the required ability to do so."  
"You're talking with Snakes Hermione? Are you out of your mind?" interrupted Weasley.  
Hermione's face darkened.  
"Ronald I-"  
Katia put her hand on the girl's shoulder "I'd better go. Meet me at the entrance of the Great Hall after dinner."  
Without another word she left.  
________________________________________  
Katia was the first to enter the Transfiguration classroom and took a seat in the middle, at the edge of a bench. Goyle sat next to her and soon the lesson began.  
Their task was to transfigure beetles into buttons.  
There was a jar of beetles on her table and Professor McGonagall instructed them in what to do.  
Katia looked behind her, then to the left. All of the students were trying to perform the task with better or worse result. Goyle's button, at her left, still had legs and it was running all over his table. The boy was trying to catch it and finally smashed it, unable to grab it with his sausage-like fingers.  
She watched the Professor discreetly and swished her wand trying to perform the task, but the poor beetle was only running back and forth. Soon the tall figure of the Professor towered over her.  
McGonagall spoke quietly, so only Katia could hear her.  
"Miss Ivanov, I believe that being schooled by the teachers provided by such a wealthy family as yours should result in a perfect example of transfiguration. I'm disappointed to see that you only try to fool me by waving your wand without any visible result."  
Katia took a deep breath and answered with a hushed voice.  
"Please forgive me, Professor, but I'm doing my best. I can present my wide theoretical knowledge, but it won't change the result of this exercise. I'm really sorry but I just can't do it properly."  
"If you say so, maybe I should ask you a question, let's say from a higher level. Do you think you can impress me with you answer?"  
Katia smiled politely. "It may give me an opportunity to prove myself in a different way."  
"What stands in opposition to Transfiguration and how does it work?"  
"The opposite of Transfiguration is Untransfiguration, which would be returning something to its proper form, Professor," she replied, her face expressionless and answer short and precise, despite her horrendous accent.  
"Would you be able to show how it works with this little insect?"  
"No, Professor. But I can write a full theory and a description of practical exercise right now if you want."  
"It won't be necessary, Miss Ivanov. For the rest of the lesson try do perform your earlier task and to learn from your class mates."  
________________________________________  
She went to dinner hoping that a full belly would ease her feeling of discomfort. She sat at the opposite site of the table, having a clear sight of the Gryffindor table. She noticed Snape's gaze once, but now she knew he was looking at her.  
He knew what she did yesterday and he was probably the one she bumped into. Remembering what Hermione said about him, he won't let it go.  
So, her humiliation will not end at dinner.  
She looked at the plates full of meat, potatoes, covered with some sauce and salad with mayonnaise. Not even a shadow of red beet. She sighed and sipped her tea, her stomach growling.  
Draco looked at her across the table.  
"Why don't you eat?"  
She smiled but it was a bitter smile. Should she tell him? No.  
"I'm on a diet. As your friend said yesterday, I'm a big cow, so why bother to eat now?"  
"Yeah, will do better to be less…" he swallowed a forkful of meat, "to be thinner maybe."  
She imagined what it would be like to eat this food as he did and felt nauseous.  
Granger must be ecstatic to show her the library, because she saw that her plate was almost empty now. She rose from her seat and exited the Great Hall. She leaned against the wall and looked at the entrance. She didn't have to wait long.  
"Ready to go Katia?" Surely she would be disappointed.  
"I must change my planes unfortunately. I have an urgent matter to discuss with the Headmaster. Would you be so kind as to show me his office? I will wait for him there."  
"All right."  
"Don't be angry Hermione. I will go with you tomorrow, I really will. I'm very fond of books."  
________________________________________  
Dinner was almost over when she met the Headmaster near the Gargoyle. He smiled seeing her and spoke a greeting.  
"Good day Miss Ivanov. Is there something I can help you with?"  
"Yes Headmaster. Can we talk for a while?"  
"Of course, of course. Follow me."  
The statue moved as if by its own accord and she stepped after Dumbledore onto the spiral staircase. She was impressed seeing his office, but made no comment. The Headmaster took a seat behind the massive desk and motioned for her to take a seat.  
"Lemon drop?" A plate full of sweats appeared in front of her. She inspected them and sniffled the one she took with her fingers.  
"Does it contain gelatin?" She seemed serious.  
"No child, only sugar and lemon juice."  
She popped the sweet into her mouth and moved it with her tongue to speak clearly.  
"There is a small thing concerning me, sir, and I believe that my father failed to discuss it with you."  
Dumbledore stroked his beard.  
"We had a rather long conversation about you. Can you enlighten me?"  
Katia smiled at him and put her hands at her lap, straightening her back at the same time.  
"He told you about the meals sir?"  
Dumbledore seemed a little surprised.  
"No, he didn't. Does Hogwarts menu not satisfy you appetite, Miss Ivanov?" before she could answer he continued.  
"Forgive me, but would it be all right with you if I called you by your given name? Your surname brings associations with certain person for me and it's a bit strange for me to call a young lady like you Ivanov."  
"I would be honored if the Headmaster of Hogwarts would call me by my given name. Besides I would it like it very much. It would also make me feel more at home, because you would be the only adult calling me Katia."  
He seemed satisfied when she agreed and Katia could guess that the sound of her surname would bring all the memories he shared with Wulfrick.  
Her father must have been very important in the Headmaster's life, she saw the official letter from was signed: Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore  
She wondered if Percival or Brian were given names or remnants of his past.  
Dumbledore's grandfatherly, warm voice interrupted her musings.  
"Could you tell me, Katia, what problem do you have with our food?"  
"I was born with a rare malfunction of my digest system, inherited genetically from my mother. I don't have the enzymes required to digest any animal products. In other words, I cannot eat anything containing meat, eggs, milk, fish or their products."  
"Oh dear child, so what do you eat? Grass?"  
Katia chuckled. She heard similar reactions when she attended to family dinners with Ivanovs.  
"I drink soya milk instead of cow milk and I eat avocado or plant butter instead of traditional butter. That's an example and I can write a complete list of meals you can provide with plants. I also beg you to not reveal this information, because I'm afraid that I would become a victim of cruel pranks. If it's possible, I would like to eat in the kitchen if there will be nothing for me during lunch or dinner. I can go there in the evening."  
"It can be arranged. I'll show you the way to the kitchens and you will come there just before the curfew with your list."  
"Thank you very much sir."  
"I have a delicious cheese cake here, but I'm afraid that you won't try a piece."  
"I'm afraid not."  
________________________________________  
The rest of the day passed without incident and around 7:30 pm she took the complete list, put it in her pocket and went to find the Potions classroom. According to Draco, who explained to her the way, Snape's office was adjacent to the dungeon classroom.  
She sat, cross-legged near the door and took the list out of her pocket, re-reading it and occasionally adding something. Two minutes to eight she knocked on the door.  
"Enter," she heard the cold, uninviting voice of Professor Snape. She checked if the golden chain on her neck was hidden and stepped inside.  
His office was cold and dark, the atmosphere unwelcoming, an impression which could be easily extended to its owner. Snape was sitting behind the desk, obviously waiting for her to do something.  
His hair was black and greasy looking, his skin pale even in the warm light of candles. His shoulders were quite wide and it made him look thinner. His long fingers were intertwined together. She dared to look at his face only once, intending to show respect by averting his eyes.  
"Good evening, Professor. You wanted to see me," she clasped her hands behind her back, her posture composed and eyes at the height of his chest.  
"You are mistaken, Miss Ivanov, if you imagined in your vicious little mind that I would want to spend my evening with you."  
Snape smirked seeing that the girl gave no sign of nervousness. Every dunderhead he had the displeasure to teach tried to brave with better or worse results, but in the end most of them ran away in tears. She thought that she was better than them, because she was rich and passed one year in Durmstrang? He would wait for her to show something, any hint of what she felt and then he would strike knowing where to hit.  
"You will not serve the usual detention, so don't ever think that you will scrub a cauldron and go away. Sit down."  
Katia took her seat on the only available chair, which turned out to be uncomfortable, the wood digging into her butt.  
She fought the urge to stand up and say what she really thinks of his treating her like that, and kept her face expressionless. She could tell that he was counting on that reaction to condemn her.  
No way.  
Her previous lessons were a complete disaster and she had a strange desire to win his appreciation. She failed with Aine Delorge but here she still had the chance. She waited patiently for him to speak, watching his hands.  
She always had a thing for hands. His hands were elegant, long fingered, and slender, without visible veins.  
"Miss Ivanov what was your final grade in Potions?"  
"I received the highest possible grade, an equivalent of Hogwarts Outstanding."  
"Well, well you think you are a genius then?"  
Snape leaned towards her a little, waiting for a reaction.  
"I have a love for the field of Potions and I hold the view that making them is an art. It's not just putting ingredients in a cauldron, it's a process of creation, passion and precision."  
"We will see what kind of artist are you, Miss Ivanov. My standards can be quite different from those you are used to. Now I want to try your knowledge if you love the subject as much as you claim to. Tell me what are the ingredients of Polyjuice potion, how should they be prepared and what is its purpose."  
Katia barely stopped herself from grinning like an idiot. She brewed this potion quite often since she was ten. It would be three years now.  
"The ingredients," she began, trying to copy his accent, "are lacewing flies, which need to be stewed for 21 days, whole leeches, powdered bicorn horn, knotgrass, fluxweed which should be picked only at full moon and shredded boomslang skin. If the potion is brewed correctly it can be identified by its color and consistency. It looks like thick dark mud and bubbles sluggishly. One would add the last ingredient at this stage, which should be a small piece of the person to be transform into, like hair or a nail. The purpose of this potion is to turn into the source of the last ingredient, but it only changes physical appearances without altering the voice of the drinker."  
She lifted her gaze to see that Professor Snape arched one, black eyebrow, looking amused by her response.  
"You obviously forgot to tell how long the effect lasts, the final color and consistency, but I can accept your answer. Can you brew it correctly?"  
"Yes, sir."  
"And if I asked you to do it now?"  
"I would do it if I had the required ingredients. Without them it will take a month to collect and prepare everything for brewing."  
"You will do it now, I have everything you would require."  
He stood up and with a few large strides he was at the door. Katia followed him to the Potions classroom where he accio-ed a clean cauldron.  
"See that cabinet on left. You will collect everything you need from there. Begin now."  
She went towards the cabinet and just before she reached it, he spoke again. "Don't even think about summoning anything by magic. I will not tolerate foolish wand-waving in my classroom."  
"Of course, sir," she answered rather absent-mindedly. The man had an incredible voice. Like a steel wrapped in silk and its timbre was music to her ears.  
She was sure that she would like to listen to it even if he insulted her. But maybe that last part could be blamed on the blasted curse she was born with.  
Maybe the curse was restraining her magical abilities from developing.  
She put everything she needed on the table and started making the potion. She really liked the subject. She felt Snape's intense gaze while she was cutting, crushing and putting things into the cauldron. Her movements were smooth and precise. She had exact timing and kept her workspace as clean as possible.  
It wasn't strange because she knew this potion by heart and she truly meant what she said about her love of the field.  
She could improve here and wasn't limited by poor magic or teachers who hated her with a passion for her stupid, childish mistake.  
She heard knocking to the door and Professor Snape went past her to answer it.  
"Continue," he said and opened the door a little.  
"Severus," she heard McGonagall's voice.  
"Minerva, Filius. To what do I owe this late visit? Do you wish to invite me for a tea party?"  
"We came here because Miss Ivanov is your responsibility."  
Katia felt the skin on her back crept.  
________________________________________  
To my readers: I do not write for the reviews, but if you have comments or thoughts - it would be appreciated if you posted them.


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